I came across this show last night and decided to watch to see where it was at in the new season. I've never been an avid watcher of the show, but I've definitely watched some reruns and know enough about the story line.
It didn't really hit me until last night how ridiculous this show is. When it first came out I thought it could be sending a good message. One teenage girl has sex for the first time, gets pregnant, and the show follows how it affects her family life, school life, dating life, etc.
Now the show has added a second pregnant teenager and there is talk of marriage..between teenagers.. And not just one teenage couple but two.
Following me?
How crazy is that? That isn't real life.
I couldn't imagine a single teenage boy I went to high school with planning to get married because he got his girlfriend pregnant.
I feel like now the show is sending a bad message. It's almost idolizing teen pregnancy. Of course they end every commercial break and the end of the show with "a talk with your parents/children about sex" message, but is that really doing enough when you've just spent the last 20 or so minutes making sex between teenagers a completely natural, fun, and expected thing to do?
Literally the whole show revolves around these good looking couples talking about sex, thinking about having sex, or actually having sex. Maybe I'm off the mark here, but that's not representative of my teenage years. There might have been gossip about sex and the couples that were doing it at my high school, but my head was not constantly wrapped around the idea of SEX.
Living in a city that made national news for an EPIDEMIC number of teenage pregnancies at a local high school I can honestly say that most of these teenage daddies are more likely to end up shot, killed, or in jail and not down on one knee proposing to their baby's momma.
Real life doesn't always include a supportive family that will watch your baby while you finish going to school.
So how about have a show that's based on inner city kids getting pregnant? I doubt being pregnant at 16 would seem so grand then and marriage would be the farthest thing from their mind.
At least shows like Teen Mom on MTV give a real look at teenage pregnancy. It shows the couples struggling to make it on their own, broken engagements, and all out fights with their parents. It shows that most of the couples are NOT together or have a strained relationship at best. The majority of them are not talking about marriage.
Has anyone else seen The Secret Life? Is my opinion way off here?
It's amazing that you posted this! I was definitely thinking about writing about this show soon. I just started watching it so I'm only on the first season, but I found the whole thing really offensive.
ReplyDeleteI think teenagers are more than just what this show tries to portray. Girls are not either religious and prude or promiscuous with daddy issues. I hate the mentality that a man must take care of a woman because she is helpless, no matter how young they are. And guys are not just slutty jocks or kiss-asses with rich fathers.
I also hated the way the main character has sex ONE TIME and gets knocked up. Obviously, sometimes it only takes one, but it is just so obvious that this show is written by adults who are afraid of teens and hope that they can establish the following mantra: "It was just one time. It wasn't even good. And I still got pregnant."
I just found the whole thing hard to believe.
I was watching re-runs last night also. I think the show is ridiculous. They completely glamorize the idea. I don't EVER remember people talking about sex the way these kids do in the hallways of highschool. Sure, there were rumors and dirty jokes. But openly talking the way the characters of this show do... is unreal. I think it's gone way to far. The whole show is about sex. I certainly wouldn't want my teenage child watching this show - they would walk away being more curious than anything!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts!
Not to mention the acting is AWFUL. It makes me cringe it's so bad. But yeah, the show is ridiculous. The girls that got pregnant in my high school never had that many friends, and if they did, it was only before they got pregnant. And the guys who got them pregnant, well, no one ever knew who they were so I can't even say what their deal was.
ReplyDeleteBut my favorite episode is the one where the blonde girl (whatever her name is), sits down with her boyfriend and her mom to talk ever so openly and honestly about how they are waiting to have sex, but should get tested first, etc. GET REAL!! I would have never sat with my boyfriend in front of my mom and tell her "we're thinking of not waiting anymore." Are they joking?!